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gaff [colloq.] | somebody's house or home |
gaffer [colloq.] | foreman, boss |
gallery (highest floor in theatre with cheapest seats) | balcony |
gallon (1 imperial gallon = 4.55 litres) | gallon (1 U.S. gallon = 3.79 liters) |
galoshes | rubbers |
gammon | cured ham |
gangway | aisle |
gaol [old-fashioned] | jail |
garage drive | driveway |
garden, back garden | yard, backyard |
garden path | front walk |
gardening leave | paid leave when not allowed to work or start new job |
gas cooker | gas stove |
gasper [slang] | cigarette |
gateau | rich layer cake with cream and perhaps fruit |
gawp [colloq.] (stare in a rude or stupid manner) | gawk |
gauze (on tripod over Bunsen burner in science lab) | wire mesh screen |
gazump (v.) [colloq.] | renege on promise to sell property at a previously agreed price after receiving a better offer from somebody else |
gear lever | gearshift;
stick shift (if manual transmission); gear changer (on a bicycle) |
gearing (ratio of loan capital to share capital) | leverage |
geezer [slang] | male person, often elderly or in some way unusual |
gelly (also 'jelly') [slang] | gelignite |
general practitioner (or GP) | community doctor of the first instance |
gen up on something [slang] | get general details about something |
Geordie [colloq.] | native of Tyneside
in northeast England; the Tyneside local accent |
get itchy feet [colloq.] | get wanderlust (a stong urge to travel) |
get one's cards [colloq.] | be dismissed from one's job |
get the push [colloq.] (be told to leave one's job) | get fired [colloq.] |
get
your knickers in a twist [colloq.] (become agitated over something) |
get your panties in a knot [colloq.] |
Get stuffed! [slang] | Go to hell! |
geyser | gas-powered domestic water heater |
git [slang] (as in 'You lying, thieving git!') | skunk; unpleasant, contemptible person |
give someone a lift | give someone a ride |
give someone a ring (telephone) | give someone a call |
give someone the elbow [colloq.] | abruptly end a relationship or romance |
give someone the push [colloq.] | dismiss someone from their job |
give someone their cards [colloq.] | dismiss someone from their job |
give way (road sign) | yield |
glasses (spectacles) | eyeglasses |
glasses case | eyeglass case |
glasshouse | greenhouse |
go down a treat | be enjoyable and well received |
go into administration (help for insolvent company) | file for bankruptcy protection |
go-slow (union work-to-rule to push wage claim) | slowdown |
go to the cinema, go to the flicks or pictures [colloq.] | go to a movie theater, go to the movies |
go up the wooden hill to Bedforshire [colloq.] | go upstairs to bed |
gob [slang] (as in 'Shut your gob, mush!') | trap [slang], mouth |
gobstopper
(very large round hard sweet, often with layers of different colours) |
jawbreaker |
goggle-box [colloq.] | the tube, the boob tube [both slang], TV set |
gold
top (gold-coloured foil cap on a 1-pint bottle of milk; see also silver top) |
full-cream milk of the kind delivered to British homes |
golden syrup | pale, golden colored syrup |
gong [colloq.] | medal or decoration for public service |
good job (as in 'It's a good job he left') | fortunate state of affairs |
goods lorry | freight truck |
goods train | freight train |
goods wagon/waggon (enclosed type) | boxcar |
goods wagon/waggon (open, flat-bottomed type) | gondola |
goolies [slang] (testicles) | balls [slang] |
goon | jerk
[slang], half-wit, silly or foolish person |
goose pimples | goose bumps |
Gordon Bennett! [exclamation] | Holy smoke! |
gormless [colloq.] | unintelligent, dim-witted |
governor,
the
[slang]; guvnor, guv [form of address] |
ones's
employer or person in position of authority; used instead of 'sir' by one feeling socially inferior |
graduate (n.) | U.K student with basic university or college degree |
graduate (v.) | leave university or college with a first degree |
graduation ceremony | commencement |
graft [colloq.] | work or toil |
grafter [colloq.] | hard worker |
grammar school | UK high school emphasizing academic study rather than practical skills |
gramophone | phonograph |
grass [colloq.] (informer, esp. police informer) | fink [colloq.]; |
grass on somebody [slang] | squeal on somebody |
grass verge (strip of land bordering road, path or flowerbed) |
shoulder |
greaseproof paper |
parchment, parchment paper; waxed paper, wax paper |
green
fingers (as in 'she's got green fingers', meaning she's good at gardening) |
green thumb (as in 'she has a green thumb') |
greengrocer('s), greengrocery | fruit and vegetable store |
greetings card | greeting card |
Gretna Green, run away to | elope |
grill (n.) (type at top of oven) | broiler |
grill (v.) | broil on a grill;
fry or toast on a griddle |
grotty | unpleasant; dirty, shabby |
ground floor | first floor |
groundsman (looks after sports ground, park, etc.) | groundskeeper |
group captain (Royal Air Force) | colonel (U.S. Air Force) |
guard (on a train) | conductor |
guard's van (on a train) | caboose |
gubbins | collection of unimportant objects or paraphernalia; gadgetry needed for performing a specific task; silly, simple-minded person or simpleton |
guillotine (office tool) | paper cutter |
gym shoe | sneaker |
gymslip | plain tunic worn over girl's school uniform shirt |
gypsy's
[from rhyming slang 'gypsy's kiss' for 'piss'] (as in 'I'm just going out for a gypsy's' to express an immediate need to urinate) |
pee, piddle [colloq.] |